Origin of the surname Leander

This very unusual surname, rare in England, originated from the ancient Greek male personal name "Leander" meaning "lion-man", whose popularity was due to St. Leander, circa 550 - 600 A.D., bishop of Seville and son of Severian, duke of Carthagena. By his wisdom and reasoning he obtained the conversion to orthodoxy or both the Visigoths and the Suevi. He also wrote an influential Rule for Nuns and introduced into the West the custom of singing the Nicene Creed at Mass. His feast day is February 27th.

There is an old Greek tale which relates the story of Hero, a priestess of Venus, who fell in love with Leander; he swam across the Hellespont every night to visit her, and one night he was drowned. Heart-broken, Hero threw herself into the same sea. The name is found in France as Landre, Landeaux, and Landrean, while Lander in England may be a variant. Georgius, son of Caspar Leander was christened on Februay 17th 1628 at Mittelfranken, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, while Katharina Sophie, daughter of Peter, was christened on July 16th 1672 at Buetzow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and later married Christian Hincke on January 10th 1700 at Roebel, Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henri Landre, which was dated 1627, a witness at Gien, Loiret, France, during the reign of King Louis X111 of France, known as "The Just", 1610 - 1643. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

It should derive from the name of Greek origins Leandro, in turn originating from Leiandros from the union of the Greek terms leios (quiet) and andros (man) with the meaning of "quiet man" or from Leandros from the union of the Greek terms laos (people listen) and andros (man) meaning "man of the people".

The surname Leandri has a small lineage in the Venetian, one in the Perugian and one in the Roman.

Leander, almost unique, is typically Milanese and is a dialectal form of the previous one.

Leandro, much rarer, has a small lineage between Padua and Venice and one in Puglia between Bari and Tarentine.

The surname Leander. Genealogy, origin, history, meaning, and significance

Research into the possible origins of leander leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname leander is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of leander.

The surname Leander around the world

There is a considerable probability that leander has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where leander is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname leander provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.

History of Leander

The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named leander are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname leander, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of leander developed. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname leander.

It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of leander could be modified. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about leander and send it to us, we will update it on this website.

Notable Figures Named Leander

We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname leander, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname leander were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. If you or someone you know bears the surname leander, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues.

The surname Leander and its bibliographic sources

The bibliography collects information related to the surname leander, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of leander are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of leander.

SOURCES

These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of leander, and at the same time, of surnames in general.

Origin of Leander